1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a running control device mounted in a vehicle for controlling a vehicle by using a navigation system, and more specifically relates to a running control device in which a required large driving force can be obtained without a performance for a traffic jam control such as reduction of an output of an engine of the vehicle when the vehicle changes the direction like turning right or left, or when the vehicle accelerates after passing through an intersection or a tollgate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram for showing a central control unit of a conventional vehicle, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram for showing a general navigation controlling unit.
In FIG. 4, a reference numeral 101 denotes a central control unit for controlling information of each control unit totally, such as an engine controlling unit 102 for controlling an engine of a vehicle, a transmission controlling unit 103 for controlling a transmission of the vehicle, and so on. In FIG. 5, a reference numeral 104 denotes a navigation system controlling unit for controlling navigation of the vehicle, and a reference numeral 105 shows a memory unit for storing map information. A reference numeral 106 denotes a course determining unit, having road information of an estimated running course, for processing information of a destination of the vehicle, a destination of the vehicle or the like so as to determining a scheduled running course of the vehicle, and a reference numeral 107 illustrates a position detecting unit for measuring a present position of the vehicle. A reference numeral 108 shows a display unit for displaying map information, a present position of the vehicle, and a scheduled course for the vehicle, and a reference numeral 109 denotes a voice message informing unit for informing a voice message of the present position of the vehicle or a running direction at an intersection of a road.
Generally, as shown in FIG. 4, a vehicle includes several sensors (not shown), and the engine controlling unit 102, the transmission controlling unit 103 and so on. The vehicle controls an engine, a transmission, a suspension, a steering device, an air conditioning system, a lighting device and so on for example based on results of processing information from the controlling units.
The controlling units are sometimes managed individually. However, the central controlling unit 101 generally manages the engine controlling unit 102, the transmission controlling unit 103 and so on totally while the central controlling unit 101 refers to and relates information of the controlling units.
In addition, recently, there has been developed an apparatus called a navigation system having a structure shown in FIG. 5 for detecting the present position by using signals from an artificial satellite or a sensor. In this conventional navigation system, a starting point, a destination of a vehicle and a plan of running course can be instructed on the basis of the processing results by the course determining unit 106, the position detecting unit and so on. The course determining unit 106 calculates a scheduled course by using a map information previously registered in the memory unit 105 in addition to the starting point, the destination of a vehicle and the plan of running course. The vehicle can be navigated by the information of the present position of the vehicle, a course direction at an intersection and the like displayed on the displaying unit 108, or outputted from the voice massage informing unit 109.
As a conventional example utilizing the above-mentioned vehicle sensors and controlling units, for instance, there is known as a traffic jam detecting apparatus described in JP-A 63/172397. In this conventional traffic jam detecting apparatus, an output value from a vehicle speed sensor is calculated, and the calculated result and a predetermined value which is previously determined are compared, then a traffic jam is determined when the calculated result indicates low speed running in the predetermined speed. A vehicle height adjusting device, suspensions, an automatic transmission device and an engine are controlled on the basis of the determination.
In addition, as another conventional traffic jam detecting apparatus for detecting a traffic jam by utilizing an output from a vehicle speed sensor, for instance, there are JP-A 59/200845, JP-A 59/200846, JP-A 59/200847.
Next, as a conventional example for controlling a vehicle on the basis of information from a navigation system, for instance, there is known as a hybrid-type vehicle described in JP-A 6/187595. In this conventional hybrid-type vehicle, accuracy of information for navigating the vehicle is improved by adding information of the road in which the vehicle running presently to map information of the navigation system, simultaneously a driving source (engine and motor, specifically) in accordance with a running position is switched so that the driving source adapts to a condition where various different peripheral environments at the same point exist such as a condition at a multilevel crossing or the like.
In the above-described conventional traffic jam detecting apparatus, if the speed of running vehicle becomes smaller than a standard value which is predetermined and into a slow speed condition, and the vehicle runs in the slow speed condition for a certain while, the apparatus determines a traffic jam condition. Thus, since the vehicle runs in the low speed lower than a predetermined speed when the vehicle changes the course such as turning right or left, or when the vehicle approaches near an intersection or a tollgate, the apparatus determines that the vehicle is in the traffic jam condition, whereby a traffic jam control is performed such that the output from the engine is reduced. As a result, there is a problem that a required driving force cannot be obtained, although a large driving force is required when the vehicle changes the course such that the vehicle turns right or left, or when the vehicle passes through an intersection or a tollgate.
Furthermore, in the above-described conventional navigation system, there is no means for canceling the traffic jam control when the vehicle changes the course direction such that the vehicle turns right or left while the vehicle runs in a traffic jam condition control or when the vehicle approaches near a tollgate while the vehicle runs in a traffic jam condition control. As a result, there is a problem that a required driving force is lacked, because the traffic jam control can not be canceled although the traffic jam control should be canceled in order to obtain a large driving force when the vehicle changes the course or when the vehicle passes through an intersection or a tollgate.